1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to drink dispensing systems and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a pumping apparatus that includes a pump and a quick connect interface that allows quick and easy attachment of the pump to drink dispensing systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Drink dispensing systems typically include a housing that contains the individual components which permit the dispensing of at least one product. The housing holds a cooling device, such as a cold plate or refrigeration unit, utilized to chill the product before it is dispensed. The housing further holds at least one pump connected between a product source and at least one inlet into the cooling device to deliver product from the product source to the cooling device. The cooling device connects at an outlet to at least one dispensing valve mounted on the housing. Upon its actuation, the dispensing valve draws chilled product from the cooling device and delivers the chilled product from its outlet. The actuation of the dispensing valve also activates the pump so that it delivers product from the product source to the cooling device.
The pump typically employed to pump product from the product source to the cooling device is a gas operated pump. The gas operated pump includes a pair of interconnected diaphragms housed in separate pump chambers. The gas operated pump further includes an inlet connected to the product source, an outlet connected to the cooling device, and a gas inlet that connects to a gas source (e.g., a CO.sub.2 bottle) to permit the delivery of gas into the pump chambers. A valve within the gas inlet alternately delivers the gas to the pump chambers to drive the diaphragms in a reciprocating fashion. As the diaphragms reciprocate, they alternately draw product from the product source and then deliver the drawn product to the cooling device.
The product inlet and outlet of the gas operated pump communicate with the product source and cooling device via respective product lines that attach to the product inlet and outlet using a connection device such as a threaded fitting or a clamp. Similarly, the product outlet of the gas operated pump communicates with the gas source via a gas line that attaches to the gas inlet utilizing a connection device such as a threaded fitting or a clamp.
Although the attachment of the gas operated pump using threaded fittings or clamps may be easily accomplished during the initial construction of the drink dispensing system, their use makes any subsequent work on the gas operated pump or its replacement extremely difficult. For example, when the gas operated pump must be removed for fixing or replacement, each of the fittings or clamps must be unscrewed. The unscrewing of the fittings or clamps is time-consuming, especially if the gas operated pump is placed in a relatively inaccessible area within the drink dispensing system housing.
Furthermore, once the product lines are disconnected, any product contained within those lines runs out into the housing, requiring the technician to clean up the spill, and, if the product is a syrup that is allowed to dry, any cleaning of the housing by the technician becomes extremely time-consuming and difficult. Additionally, when the gas line is disconnected, any gas within the gas line is lost and, if the line is not fitted with a check valve, all the gas within the gas source will escape to the atmosphere.
Another problem encountered with pumps utilized to pump product from the product source to the cooling unit involves determining the amount of use of the pump or, in other words, how much product the pump has actually delivered. Pump use is important because it provides a technician with an indication of when the pump should be replaced. Without any pump use indication, pumps are replaced based purely on their age. Consequently, perfectly functioning pumps are replaced due to their age even though their actual use has been very little.